A crowd of customers stood at the counter of Marathon Bagel Co.’s new Islamorada location, waiting to place their orders. Owner Michael Minni — from Northern New Jersey and proud of it — efficiently worked the register while he good-naturedly busted chops with his Newark accent. Paulie Walnuts, the wise-cracking character on “The Sopranos,” would have been proud.
“It’s like Groundhog Day over here,” Michael said, teasing a chuckling customer who was putting in his regular order.
And Marathon Bagel Co.’s clientele clearly love the service with a smile, which is accompanied, of course, by the chain’s freshly made bagels.
“With our bagels and that Jersey banter, we want you to feel like you’re in New Jersey,” said Cynthia Minni, who owns the chain with her husband.
The Minnis have had a house in Marathon since 2012, when they realized that there was a lack of bagel shops in the area.
“In New Jersey, in every strip mall, there’s Chinese food, pizza and a bagel shop,” said Cynthia. “So we thought, ‘Let’s do it here.’”
Cynthia, a retired psychologist, and Michael, a retired cop, had some experience in the restaurant industry, having been silent partners in a bagel shop. But this time, knowing that they were a little bored with their retirement, they wanted to be active participants in the creation of the eatery and its menu.
With the goal of making bagels that tasted just like the ones back home, the couple tested out three recipes, adjusting to accommodate the humidity and different tap water in the Keys. They taste-tested the different versions with people who should know best — fellow New Jersey bagel lovers — and found the crowd favorite.
And the winning recipe was an instant hit with Florida Keys customers. Marathon Bagel Co. opened in Marathon in December 2016, “during Hell Week,” Cynthia said, eyes open wide. “Little did we know.”
“A line went out the door for six hours that day,” said Michael, shaking his head in disbelief.
Local customers became addicted to the bagels, which come in flavors from plain and sesame seed to onion and “everything.” A typical breakfast sandwich can be a simple egg and cheese, a chorizo sausage and egg or a Nova lox sandwich with cream cheese, onion and capers — a New Jersey classic.
Eventually, the couple noticed that people from the Upper Keys were coming down to get a supply of bagels to eat throughout the week.
“We got tired of people asking why we weren’t up here,” said Michael. So the Minnis decided to create a location in Islamorada, which opened in January.
An effort is made to use ingredients from their home state. The salmon is from Acme Fish Co. in New York, and the chorizo from the Portuguese section of Newark, where a family has been making it for 65 years.
Other offerings on the menu include breakfast bowls and baked goods made by Cynthia.
“It’s the pride of putting out product that’s amazing,” said Cynthia. “We’re in love with our products.”
Marathon Bagel Co. in Islamorada is located at 86701 Overseas Highway, in the Pelican Plaza, and open daily (closed Mondays) from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 305-735-4247 or find them on Facebook, Instagram, Tripadvisor and Yelp.
